How to Use Databases

Start with a general index that covers a wide range of topics, such as Academic
Search or CBCA Reference. If you can't find relevant articles, use a more specialized
index.

Search for Resources

Use the Search tool in the database to look for articles relevant to your subject.
Some databases will allow you to access the full text document, which you can print
and use immediately.

If the article you want is not available in full text, check the periodical holdings
for NIC or other BC post-secondary institutions by clicking on the icon or the words
"Where can I get this?" located on the citation page.

Complete an Interlibrary Loan form

Complete an interlibrary loan form
and submit it to the circulation desk. You can also fill out the form
online. NIC library staff can then order a copy of an article from another
library, and call you when it arrives. If you are off-campus, you will be asked
to login with your myNIC User ID and Password. To connect from home, follow the
steps outlined in the FAQs.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to drop in or contact your local
campus library.

Alt Healthwatch
Date Range: 1990-present
Full text/partial: Index/Abstract/FullTextTopics Covered: Focuses on complementary, holistic, and integrated
approaches to health care and wellness.User Notes: Includes 50,000 articles from over 175 international,
peer-reviewed and professional journals, magazines, reports, proceedings and association
and consumer newsletters, plus hundreds of pamphlets, booklets, special reports,
original research and book excerpts. In addition to the standard bibliographic citations,
the database indexes each article by more than 225 subject categories, 16 articles
types and 11 publication types.

BC Stats
Date Range:Fulltext/partial:Topics Covered: BC Stats is the central statistical agency of the
Province of British Columbia. It maintains the provincial government's largest concentration
of statistical products, services, and expertise.

British
Colonist
Date Range: 1858-1910Fulltext/partial: Full text
Topics Covered: NewspaperUser Notes: The date range is key, because it covers the years
when Victoria was the largest city in the province, and the Colonist was the largest
newspaper. Included are articles, advertisements and photographs.

Business Source Premier
Date Range: 1982-presentFulltext/partial: Index/Abstract/FullTextTopics Covered: Management economics, finance, accounting, and
international business.User Notes: This database contains over 3,600 full text scholarly
journals and business periodicals. The database also includes country economic reports
from the EIU, Global Insight, ICON Group, CountryWatch, etc. Business Source Premier
contains PDF images for the great majority of journals; many of these PDFs are searchable
and scanned-in-color. 10,000 substantial company profiles and 1,600 industry reports
are also included.

Canadian Literary Centre
Date Range:1971-presentFulltext/partial: Index/Abstract/FullTextTopics Covered: Focusing on Canadian literature and authors, this
index includes monographs, biographies, essay, literary criticism, and book reviews.User Notes: The Canadian Literary Centre consists of book and reference
content from Essays on Canadian Writing Press. ECW Press also provides several individual
monographs and biographies, essays and literary criticism. The database includes
book reviews, essays, author biographies, and much more.

Canadian Newsstand
Date Range: 1985-presentFulltext/partial: FullTextTopics Covered: Articles, columns, editorials and features published
in a variety of Canadian newspapersUser Notes: This database provides primarily full text access to
the articles, columns, editorials and features published in a variety of Canadian
newspapers, many with extensive back files. Database content is updated daily, following
a seven-day embargo period.

Canadian Research Index
Date Range: 1980-presentFulltext/partial: Index/AbstractTopics Covered: Canadian government and research publicationsUser Notes: The database includes all depository publications of
research value issued by both the federal government and the ten provinces and three
territories; hard to find non-depository publications issued by hundreds of Canadian
government agencies and departments; scientific and technical report literature
issued by research institutes and government laboratories

CBCA Business
Date Range: Early 1970s-presentFulltext/partial: Full text/abstracts/indexedTopics Covered: In depth access to a broad range of Canadian business
periodicals.User Notes: Over 400 journals make up the collection with file
depth back to the early 1980's. Included are trade journals, general business publications,
academic journals, topical journals, and professional publications.

CUFTS Journal Search
Date Range: N/AFulltext/partial: N/ATopics Covered: CUFTS allows users to search by journal title or
ISSN to determine what databases and electronic collections contain a specific journal.
This helps locate full text article availability and where a title has been indexed.

Directory
of Canadian Adult Literacy Research in English
Date Range: 1994-dateFulltext/partial: Full text/abstractsTopics Covered: Canadian research in adult literacy and research
in progress.User Notes: Note that although some materials seem to be available
for a cost, this reflects the cost of a paper copy; online access is free where
available.

Directory
of Open Access Journals
Date Range: N/AFulltext/partial: Full textTopics Covered: Scientific and scholarly journals in all subjects
and languages.User Notes: There are approximately 4,297 journals in the directory.
Currently, over 1,500 journals are searchable at the article level.

Empire Club of Canada
Date Range: 1903-present
Fulltext/partial: Abstract/FullTextTopics Covered: Speeches given by prominent Canadian and international
leaders to the Empire Club of Canada on a variety of political topics.User Notes: Free access website.

Ethnographic Video Online
User Notes: Ethnographic Video Online: is a comprehensive online resource for the visual study of human culture and behavior. The collection contains more than 500 hours of classic and contemporary documentaries produced by leading video producers in the discipline; previously unpublished footage from working anthropologists and ethnographers in the field; and select feature films.

Genetic Home Reference
User notes:
A site from the US National Library of Medicine which provides consumer-friendly
information about genetic conditions and the effects of genetic variations on human
health.

IDP Database of Research on International Education
Date Range:Fulltext/partial: FullText / Partial
Topics Covered: Various aspects of international education.User Notes: Contains details of more than 8,000 books, articles,
conference papers and reports from publishers in Australia and abroad.

National Film Board CAMPUS
Date Range:Fulltext/partial:Topics Covered: Approximately 2500 productions in English and French
available 24/7 streamed to the classroom or personal computer. Choose from an International
treasury of stories with acclaimed documentaries, award-winning animation and alternative
dramas-exploring history, the environment, culture, media literacy and a vast range
of topics.

Nationmaster
Date Range:Fulltext/partial:Topics Covered: Generate maps and graphs on all kinds of statistics
at Nationmaster. This site provides an easy way to graphically compare nations using
a vast compilation of data from such sources as the CIA World Factbook, UN, and
OECD.

Regional Business News
Date Range: N/AFulltext/partial: Full textTopics Covered: Business NewsUser Notes: Regional Business News incorporates coverage of 75
business journals, newspapers and newswires from all metropolitan and rural areas
within the United States. This database is updated on a daily basis. Regional Business
News has full text for more than 60 sources.

Readers' Guide Abstracts
Date Range: 1983-presentFulltext/partial: Index/AbstractTopics Covered: General interestUser Notes: Citations and abstracts from over 240 popular and general
interest North American periodicals which are updated monthly.

Statistics
Canada
Date Range:Fulltext/partial:Topics Covered: Statistics Canada compiles statistical data for
all the provinces as well as the federal government, to help better understand Canada,
its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. In addition to conducting
a survey every five years, there are approximately 350 active surveys on virtually
every aspect of Canadian life.